The Dickinson press. (Dickinson, Stark County, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1883-1927, 1887-09-10
INDUSTRIOUS IMPULSES.

INDUSTRIOUS IMPULSES.
LUNAR INFLUENCE AND THE EMO
TloNAL FORMS OF INSANITY.
Is 1t Merely a Coincidence?-Are Lunar
Effects All NIoonshtne?-A Factor
Which Cannot be Ignored-Parallels
in History-Doctors' Evidence.
The medical experts of New York who
have studied the alterations and monstrous
impulses of the human mind arc nearly as
baftled Us the detectives and blooihounds by
the revolving series Of murders committed in
Texas during the past three years. Many of
them have examined with great care the
graphic accounts given in tho news columns,
especially noting resemblance in both sur
roundings and method between the murder
GUS assault upon the two girls Mt Gainesville,
i'll that state, and the bloody series in Austin,
involving nine victims, and all women
The doctors find themselves confronted at
the outset by startling trio of facts:
| !. All these atrocities were committed at
| the full of the MOON
| 2. In each case there was the same fiendish
mutilation of the victims head, a hatchet
being, with one exception, the weapon used.
| 3. Throughout the series there runs tho
same incredible craftiness which has baffled
discovery.
For many years tho students OF insanity
have been growing more material i'll their
notions, and, at this time, have almost dis
carled what they call the "ide folk lore"
about lunar influence on the emotional forms
OF insanity, chiefly such as lead to suicide and
homicide. Inquiry developed the interesting
| fact chat the younger members Of the medi-
cal fraternity, who have great ambition to
be "up with the tines,n were unanimous in
poohpooing the notion that tho moon could
have had any effect on the pcrpetrntor of tho
Texas murders. "It is merely coincidence,
say these medical beginners, "that the moon
was at its full when these murders were COM
mitted." Then they go on to theorize about
as follows:
"You will find in a Ill cases where there is
recurrence of the holnicidal manin that the
murderer will on each subsequent occasion,
at at the same time of day and night, and
use the same weapons, as on the first occasion.
Hence the first of these murders having been
done i'll the full moon, and with hatchet or
ak, the same holds good of all the series"
On tho other hand, experienced prac.
titioners i'll insanity are either less dognlatlc
against tile moonlight theory or franz
enough to admit its force. DR.. E. c. Spitzka,
the well known specialist in the Gultcau and
other famous insanity cases, received tho re-
porter cordially. He wanted time to exam.
inc the case thoroughly. After carefully
! pernsing the account the doctor said:
"This is certainly remarkable There
seems to be good reason to suppose that these
/ butcheries were done by tho same hand.
faki,!,; that fact for granted, am prepared
to believe, without tho slightest doubt, that
lunar influence caused this wretch's insane
mania to explode, as we say"
| "But, doctor, tho physicians claim that
these lunar effects are all 'moonsiiner"
Not unreservedly, my young friend. Sci
encr has been wedding out many of these
primitive notions about the moon, but to
deny all influence of the planet on'a nerv-
GUS organizations or persons subject to aber-
ratlons of the mind would be folly. Here is
case in point, and Twill give you illustra-
tions later under the same group. Here arc
eleven l'utchcrics, committed at irregular in
tcrvGis, by the sanlo instrumentalties and
always in the full of the moon. Lunar in
| fiucnrc thus becomes factor which can't bo
! ignored. 1t is we'll known fact that In
stinclive propensities Of the human mind aro
more under tho dominion Of the tides and
! moon than OF any other. In other words,
wliil' lunar influence will not breed insane
mania i'll thoroughly balanced minds, it will,
where such mania or propensities arc instinct
i've, frequently causo them to explode.
"There are still very eminent men in our
ranks who go to great extremes in advocating
this lunar influence. Imay mention DR.. Kos
ter, superintendent Of tho largo insane asylum
at MarSb"rg, near Bonn, in Germany He has
carried the theory to moro extreme limit
than any ono else. Ho contends TINT tho
moons influence varies, according to tho sub
| ject, from bi-monthly to monthly, bi.weekly,
etc, down to three days, and he maintains
his theory with great mathematical skill I
don't go that far, of course It's good ,.eal
like the exploded notion that pneumonia
reaches its crisis on odd days. It oil depends
on when you begin to figure. 1fyou get your
starting point to suit you you can fix any set
OF circum' tances into your theoretical pigeon
hole. Blu. do believe in lunar influence Of
Of tho kind have described, and, in this
Texas case, have not the least doubt that
the murderer is its victim"
The doctor, in substance, then expressed
his belief that the governing motive of the
Texas maniac was clearly on abnormal SEN
sual frenzy. This was not by any means un-
common. Such alterations may exist, as the
combined results of excessive inclination and
cynical brutality, in persons not insane by
any means. They are periodic, and in many
instances follow tile phases Of tho moon
Homicide was q necessary incident in tho
Texas crimes. and where men came in for
/ my t>ano =
special hostility, but were simply in the way
OF tho manac's accomplished purpose, and
were therefore moved down like SO much
grass.
"There nre other manifestations Of almost
inconceivabie brutality. Ono was reported
from Scotland many years ago, and another,
OF recent date, from Colorado And now that
we are talking Of lunar influence, l recall the
fact that the Scottish case was at the full of
the moon, while the attacks Of the case from
Colorado also followed periods OF the
moon. This will help to establish the theory
that brutally insane propensities are gov
erned largely by the peculiar influence Of
lunar light. And yet" the doctor said in con-
clusion, remember that all these crimes have
been committed by persons whose general
sanity could not be disputed"
DR.. Forbes Winslow, in summing up va
r.ous theories on the subject, says it is i'm
possible to ignore altogether tho evidence of
such men as Pinel, Daquin, Guislain and
others. Yet the experience of modern psy-
Geological physicians is to a great degree op-
posed to the deductions Of these eminent men
He adds: May not the alleged changes OBJ
served among the insane at certain phases Of
the moon arise, not from the direct but the
indirect influence of this planet. 1t is we'll
known that the rarity OF the air, the cleo
trio conditions of the atmosphere, the degree
Of heat, dryness, moisture and amount of wind
prevailing are all more or less modified by the
state Of the moon. In the generality of bodily
diseases what obvious changes are observed
to accompany the meteorological condi
tons referred to- Surely those suffering from
diseases of the brain ami nervous system affect
ing the mind cannot, with any show of reason,
be considered as exempt from the operations
of agencies that are universally admitted to
affect patients afflicted with other maladiesn
He tells of all intelligent lady who occupied
m <,f r